


Breakroom Mistletoe

by NotaDroid (mjonhunt)



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Comedy, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24048259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjonhunt/pseuds/NotaDroid
Summary: Ashley Seaver has noticed something between Reid and Prentiss. She made a suggestion about misteltoe to see what would happen.
Relationships: Emily Prentiss/Spencer Reid
Kudos: 34





	Breakroom Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own CM, no copyright infringement is intended.  
> A/N: This is just a little bit of fluff regarding Reid and Emily

_Dec 27 2010_

_BAU offices_

The BAU offices were a little bare the week between Christmas and New Year's. Morgan and Hotch were both on leave, which meant that it was Rossi, Prentiss, Reid, Seaver, and Garcia left. Rossi was in his office, and Emily was elsewhere, leaving only Reid and Seaver in the bullpen.

"Are you and Emily Prentiss seeing each other," Ashley Seaver asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"What?" Spencer Reid looked surprised. Ashley couldn't tell if it was because of her question or because she asked it so bluntly.

"You and Agent Prentiss, are you two dating?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"I'm just curious. If you two aren't, you should be."

"What do you mean?"

"The way you two look at each other. It's not obvious, but when you think no one's looking there's a look you two have."

"A look?"

"A definite look. Sometimes the two of you share a look, like there's something you're trying to tell each other."

"You're wrong." He looked down at his files again.

"So, you're not attracted to her?"

"I didn't say that. I mean, she's very beautiful. But she doesn't feel that way towards me."

"Yes she does. I bet she fantasizes about you and the mistletoe."

"What mistletoe?"

"The mistletoe Garcia put up for Christmas."

"I'm sure it's down now."

"It's still hanging in the break room. You know, if you wanted to show Prentiss..."

Reid shook his head in disbelief and worked on his consult.

Seaver's conversation with Reid didn't go unwitnessed. From inside Penelope Garcia's inner sanctum, she could see the action in the bullpen, courtesy of some of her monitors getting a feed from the surveillance cameras. There was video, but no sound.

And Garcia wasn't the only one in the room. Emily Prentiss was there too.

"What's the matter with you lately?" Garcia asked her friend. "You've been mopey ever since the Christmas party."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Just because I don't run around saying I'm happy doesn't mean I'm mopey. I'm just not a big holiday person that's all."

Emily wasn't paying attention to Garcia's response to that. She looked at the monitor and saw that Seaver and Reid were talking. It seemed to Emily that Reid was always watching Seaver. Or at least, paid attention to her more than he did anyone else. She had notice he spent a lot of time talking to Seaver at the Christmas party.

_So, that's what kind of women you're attracted to Reid?_ Emily thought to herself. _Young women like Seaver? Or that bartender, what was her name? Dallas? No, Austin. Or that starlet, what was her name? Lila._

_You used to look at JJ like that, too. Even after Will and Henry were a part of her life. Is that why you were so sad after she left? Did you hold out hope that one day the two of you might end up together. So maybe you'll make a move on Seaver. Go ahead, Dr. Reid. Chase your young girl._

"So, can I count on you to be the human sacrifice next week?" Emily heard Garcia say.

"Yeah sure. What?" Emily looked at Garcia. Just how long had Emily been zoning out?

"I knew you weren't listening. What's on your mind?" Garcia followed Prentiss's gaze to the monitor. "You're keeping an eye on Seaver and Junior G-man. Do you think he'll ask her out? Or just keep mooning at her."

"Maybe he will. Or maybe he'll feel wrong about asking out a cadet." And with that, Emily walked out of the room.

"I wish I knew why she's moping. Maybe I should ask Reid." Then she looked at Reid hunched over his desk. She laughed. "Who am I kidding? He probably hasn't even noticed."

Emily went into the break room to get some coffee. Emily looked again at the mistletoe. Why was it a Christmas tradition to kiss underneath it? Why not the rest of the year? She was so focused on the mistletoe that she didn't notice Seaver walking behind her.

"So, what's the deal with you and Dr. Reid," Seaver asked.

Emily turned around to face her. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry if I'm out of line, but it seems like the two of you steal glances at each other. At least, you do. I think he just stares into space thinking, so it never matters where his eyes rest. But I've seen the way you look at him. You should get him under the mistletoe and get it out of your system."

"Ashley, I know you mean well, but you're wrong. I don't have those feelings towards Dr. Reid. Yes, Dr. Reid does tend to stare into space. And even if I had those feelings towards him, he doesn't have them for me."

"You don't think so? You don't think he thinks of women like that?"

"Sure, he does. Not me, just other women."

"I think you're wrong. I've seen how he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching. They're a lot like the looks you give him."

"Ashley, look I think you have the wrong idea about me and him."

"I think you have the wrong idea about him altogether. I know everyone thinks he likes me, but I've seen him look at you. I think he likes you more than you think he does."

"I think you're wrong. I'm know exactly what he thinks about me."

"I think he might surprise you. Anyway, it's none of my business really." And with that she left the break room.

Emily went back to looking at the mistletoe still hanging in the break room. "Why haven't they taken this down yet?"

"Actually, in France the tradition is for mistletoe to be used for New's Year Eve only."

Emily turned to face Reid. How long had he been there? And how did he get so stealthy? He was pouring coffee into his mug. Then he put about five tablespoons of sugar into his coffee.

"I see." Emily said.

Reid took a sip of his coffee and looked at the mistletoe. "You know, Seaver had an interesting theory."

"Oh?" Emily tried to keep her tone neutral.

"She seemed to think that if I stood under the mistletoe," as he spoke he put his coffee down and stepped directly under the mistletoe, “that you would want to step underneath it with me."

"Did she now? And did she have any theories about what would happen after we both stood under the mistletoe?" She moved directly underneath the mistletoe as well.

"I think she assumed we would be following tradition."

"And do you agree with her analysis of the situation?"

"Well, I wasn't sure. I mean, sometimes you have to actually test a theory to know what would happen."

"Well, Dr. Reid, what did you want to happen?"

"Her prediction sounded good to me. What about you?"

"I'm surprised by that. In fact," but Emily didn't finish her sentence. As she was speaking, Reid grabbed her and kissed her. The sensation of his lips on her distracted her. She forgot what she was going to say. They stayed like that for a while, kissing under the mistletoe.

_It's muscle-memory,_ she thought to herself, _that's why I'm still kissing him right now. Nothing else._

She kept trying to tell herself she wasn't attracted to him. No, not one bit. Of course, it was hard to convince herself of that as the kiss continued. When the kiss finally ended, Emily and Reid looked each other in the eyes, not speaking.

"You were saying Emily?" Reid asked.

"I ...I was expressing disbelief that you had any physical attraction to me."

"I trust I've dissuaded your opinion of that."

"Maybe a little. Although..."

"Yes?"

"Your pupils are dilated."

"So are yours. If I didn't know better, I'd say the feeling was mutual."

"Would you? Perhaps this is a one-time occurrence."

"Well, that would be a shame. Because it was even better than I imagined it. It just makes me wonder."

"Wonder what?"

"What would happen if we adjourned to an unoccupied supply closet right now?"

"I don't know. Do you want to find out?"

It was a little while later when Reid and Emily came back to the bullpen and sat down at their desks. It seemed to Seaver, they looked just a bit disheveled. As they worked at their desks, every so often they would look at the other person. They looked just a bit guilty, Seaver thought.

"So, I was just wondering," Seaver said, "if either one of you thought about what I asked you earlier."

"You mean your theory about the misinterpretation of continual facial expressions in a variety of interpersonal interactions over an extended temporal context?" Reid asked.

"Or are you referring to the likelihood of new experiences under parasitic vegetation?" Emily asked.

"Yes."

"I don't have a conclusive answer right now."

"Oh?"

"Dr. Reid believes in the scientific method. He doesn't like to label anything a certainty unless the results can be repeated several times." Emily said.

"In the meantime, I hope you can be discreet about it." Reid said.

Seaver smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way." They all worked in the silence for the rest of the day.


End file.
